The subject invention relates to a dual-interface card reading device, and particularly one that can identify the data on a magnetic card or an IC card so that the user may swipe either a magnetic card or an IC card in the same device. The structural design of the device is such that the whole unit takes up only a minimum volume, thus achieving the effects of small size, low cost and convenient operation.
With science and technological advancement, our currency of coins and paper money has been replaced by plastic money in the form of credit cards or IC cards. These two cards usually operate on different machines. However, it has previously been proposed to combine the two machines into one unit, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, which illustrate a perspective view and a front view of the prior art combined card swiping machines, such as the card reading device disclosed in Public Notice No. 315017 of the Patent Gazette. The drawings clearly illustrate a construction involving a one-way opening. To enable a magnetic card or an IC card to be pushed into the one-way opening, the integral width of the machine must be bigger than the width of the magnetic card or the IC card, and a card discharging mechanism must be installed. As a result the machine becomes quite large and its production cost will be high. Therefore, there is room for improvement for the prior art.
In view of the above drawbacks in the prior art, the subject inventor has devoted research on how to minimize the integral construction and reduce its production cost, and by repeated test production and design, has finally come up with the subject invention of a dual-interface card reading device.
The main objective of the subject invention is to provide a dual-interface card reading device having a small size, low cost and convenient operation. This objective is achieved by providing a main body and the cover plate which, after assembly, forms an opening to accommodate the insertion of a magnetic card or an IC card, one side of the opening defining a hollow slide groove to accommodate swiping or insertion of the magnetic card or IC card. A magnetic head is mounted on the cover plate and extends into the opening to read the magnetic card, and an IC card interface is provided on the main body at the end of the hollow slide groove to read the IC card. The magnetic head and IC card contacts extend into the opening from opposite sides, allowing separate reading of magnetic stripe and IC cards, and further allowing a magnetic stripe to be read as a card containing both a magnetic strip and an IC is pushed into the IC reading position.